The federal and local authorities in San Diego arrested three individuals earlier this week in a case involving approximately £8,000 of methamphetamine, valued at over $5 million.
This event occurred around 7 PM on Monday during a joint drug operation in the South Bay area, as reported by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday evening.
According to a federal complaint from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol agents observed three vehicles suspected to be carrying a significant amount of drugs. The vehicles were tracked to a parking lot on Otay Mesa Road.
Two of the vehicles were heading toward the San Isidro motel, while the third was en route to a motel in Chula Vista. Ultimately, all three drivers were arrested.
They were identified by the Department of Justice as Eric Omar Ariola, a 27-year-old from El Salvador, and two Mexican nationals—Eugenio Lizama, 35, and Balthazar Rodriguez Reyes, 49.
Ariola has a criminal record, including convictions for driving under the influence, domestic battery, and false imprisonment, according to the DOJ.
During the search of the vehicles, authorities discovered a total of 61 bundles of methamphetamine, weighing more than 7,700 pounds and worth around $5.5 million.
This seizure is being considered one of the largest methamphetamine operations in Southern California for 2025, marking a significant achievement for the newly formed Homeland Security Task Force in San Diego.
All three individuals were taken to San Diego Central Prison, where they are facing charges of conspiracy, transportation, and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell.
